The Alkmaar cheese market is held every Friday from 10:00 to 13:00, from 27 March to 25 September 2026, on the Waagplein in the centre of Alkmaar. Admission is free. In July and August there are extra Tuesday evening markets (19:00–21:00). Alkmaar is 30–40 minutes from Amsterdam Centraal by train.

Dates 2026 (confirmed)

Friday markets, 10:00–13:00: every Friday from 27 March to 25 September 2026 — 27 Fridays in total. Arrive by 9:45 for a place at the front; the cheese carriers start at 10:00 sharp and the last cheeses are weighed around 12:30.

Tuesday evening markets, 19:00–21:00: every Tuesday in July and August 2026 (7, 14, 21, 28 July; 4, 11, 18, 25 August).

Children’s cheese market: Fridays in July and August, 10:30–11:00, on the same square — children carry small cheeses on miniature sledges.

Source: Vereniging Kaasmarkt Alkmaar (kaasmarkt.nl), checked 9 September 2026.

Dates 2027 (expected — to be confirmed)

The season always runs from the last Friday of March to the last Friday of September. For 2027 that means Fridays from 26 March to 24 September 2027, 10:00–13:00, with Tuesday evening markets in July and August. We confirm the dates when the organisers publish the 2027 programme (usually in January).

What you will see

Alkmaar is the largest and oldest of the Dutch cheese markets, held on this square since 1365. Around 30,000 kilos of cheese are laid out on the cobbles. The kaasdragers (cheese carriers), in white with lacquered straw hats in the colours of their four guilds, run the cheeses on wooden barrows to the Waag to be weighed, while traders and inspectors sample, tap and bargain with the handjeklap. A presenter explains everything in Dutch, English and German. The show runs the full three hours, so you can arrive at 11:00 and still see plenty — but the opening at 10:00, with the bell and the first barrows, is the highlight.

Practical information

• Location: Waagplein, 1811 JP Alkmaar. The Waag also houses the Dutch Cheese Museum (Kaasmuseum), open on market days from 10:00.
• Admission: free. Seats in the grandstand are limited and first come, first served.
• Best viewing spots: the Waag side for the weighing, the canal side (Mient) for the barrows and the boats.
• Busy days: Fridays in July–August and around Easter; expect 5,000–10,000 visitors. The evening markets are much quieter.
• Toilets, food: in the cafés around the square and in the Waag.
• Combine with: Alkmaar’s old town (10 minutes’ walk covers the highlights), the Zaanse Schans on the way back to Amsterdam, or the beach at Egmond or Bergen (bus, 20 minutes).

How to get to Alkmaar from Amsterdam

• Train: direct Intercity or Sprinter from Amsterdam Centraal to Alkmaar, 2–4 per hour, 30–40 minutes. From Alkmaar station it is a 10-minute walk to the Waagplein (follow the signs Kaasmarkt). Book via NS or tap in with a bank card.
• Car: 45 minutes via the A9; park at Karperton or Schelphoek and walk 5 minutes. The centre is closed to cars on market mornings.
• Tour: several Amsterdam tours run only on Fridays and include the market — see below.

Frequently asked questions

What day is the cheese market in Alkmaar?

Friday mornings, 10:00–13:00, from the last Friday of March to the last Friday of September. In 2026: 27 March to 25 September.

Is the Alkmaar cheese market on every Friday?

Yes, every Friday in the season, in all weather. Check kaasmarkt.nl the day before for exceptional changes.

How much does the Alkmaar cheese market cost?

Nothing — it is free to watch. The Cheese Museum in the Waag charges admission.

How early should I arrive?

By 9:45 for a front-row spot; the square fills up between 9:30 and 10:00 in July and August.

Can I do Alkmaar cheese market as a half-day trip from Amsterdam?

Yes. Leave Amsterdam Centraal around 9:00, watch the market from 10:00 to 11:30 and you are back in Amsterdam by 13:00 — or continue to the Zaanse Schans (train to Zaandijk Zaanse Schans, 25 minutes).

Plan the rest of your day

• Alkmaar travel guide
• Dutch cheese markets overview
• Cheeses of Holland
• Zaanse Schans
• Edam cheese market
• Gouda cheese market